Bartender Wisdom: 'No, I Don't Have a Favorite Drink'

I call it Starlite. It's strange having a place named after you. I hear people call it Trina's, and it's kind of freaky.

"Oh you're Trina? You're the Trina?" And, you know, I feel two ways about it. One, I am honored that the guys put my name on it, but there is a lot of pressure. I can't be in a bad mood. It's not possible.

I was using really bad stuff when I first started bartending. Really crappy things. I think one of the best things that has happened, although I hate the word "mixology," is this whole trend. I think people are really taking pride in using better quality ingredients and spirits. Even just ice. All the stuff you can do with ice? That's insane. When I first started, you got ice. That was it.

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You know, you get some jerks in the bar. You get some great people in the bar. You get someone who's really quiet, and after two drinks, they're the loudest idiot in the bar. I wouldn't say that everyone's the same. If anything, I would say that it's your job as a bartender to find out what kind of service they want.

I'm surprised all the time, to be honest with you. I have people coming in and ordering these weird shots and things, and then I have this young girl who looks like she wants blackberry vodka and soda, and she's asking me for a Negroni.

The number-one rule in cutting somebody off is not making them feel uncomfortable. Don't make them feel stupid. Someone could be drunk off their ass, and I'm still going to try to be as nice as I can to them.

The first thing I always do: give them the biggest drink of water I can possibly get, and usually make a joke like, "Don't worry, guys, water's free on me all night. As much as you can drink."

I'm not a big girl, but I'm not scared either. I did grow up in East Boston, so if you've got a problem or you're gonna be a jerk, then you know you're gonna have to deal with me, and I'm not gonna ever raise my hands to anybody, but my tongue will do just as much damage.

I'm not a robot behind the bar. You have people who come in and have absolutely no patience, waving money at you, snapping their fingers, you know. It's like, dude, I know, I see you. I'm not standing back here picking my ass. I am working and running as fast as I can.

Some people don't talk religion or politics in a bar. I don't agree with that. I think that people can be a little bit more free and talk a little bit more. I hate to be cheesy and bring up the history that bars have had in this city, but there have been a lot of amazing decisions that have been made over beer and cocktails in Boston.

My husband and I, we met on the train. You can't do that anymore. He'd be on his phone and I'd be listening to my iPod. We'd probably have met in a bar, if it was now.

I hate seeing people on their phones in bars. I know, you guys are talking about something and you wanna see who's right. Check your trivia, do whatever you have to do, but being at a bar is all about being social.

I've worked in nightclubs and seen some really, really weird things going on. And again, this was like, the '90s. There are a lot of freaky things that I've seen, and I kind of want to forget they ever happened. But that was nightclubs, and they had their day.

I'd much rather go into a bar and have somebody chit-chat with me, even if it's about just bullshit, than, you know, "Hi you guys! How are you? We've got some great specials!"

That's like asking a typist "What's your favorite word?" No, I don't have a favorite drink to make. It's a drink. I'm making it. I'm serving it to you. I'm gonna do it as best as I can.